Bengals snap count takeaways: Frustrating trends continue against the Ravens

The Bengals dropped a close one against the Ravens on Sunday and subsequently dropped to 5-5 on the season. Both teams went back and forth with each other but the Bengals’ depth failed to step up when it counted, and you could tell based on personnel decisions that Cincinnati was already giving Baltimore a head start.

Here are the snap count takeaways:

• It has become tradition to see just how bad the Bengals were out snapped on Sunday. This week their offense only managed 55 plays while Baltimore had 79. The issue hasn’t changed here. The Bengals can’t convert third downs on offense, and they can’t stop anyone on third down either.
• Why on earth is Hardy Nickerson Jr. playing every single defensive snap? Nickerson started because of Preston Brown’s injury but nothing he’s done this season warranted that decision to be made from Marvin Lewis. Nickerson just looked lost most of the time as the team struggled with Lamar Jackson running the ball all game long.
• Many fans were upset when the Bengals targeted Cody Core on the play that basically decided the game. However, you should probably be even more mad that somehow Core played 34 snaps. That is the same amount of snaps that Joe Mixon got on the day! It doesn’t matter what injuries they were dealing with, Core playing that much is just ridiculous. Not to mention Alex Erickson (9) and Auden Tate (1) played a fraction of the snaps he got, and Tate was the only one to grab a reception on the game. No wonder guys like Tyler Boyd (52) and John Ross (51) are struggling to create space when the defense doesn’t even have to worry about any of the other receivers.
• A couple defenders returned this week after extended absences. Darqueze Dennard (63) played well in his return. He had a few splash plays on the day, and you could tell there was an upgrade in coverage in slot with him out there. Vontaze Burfict (36) on the other hand looked like he could probably use another week off. He missed plenty of tackles, and he just didn’t look like the same player we’ve grown to expect him to be.
• While we are on the subject of linebackers, it is incredibly frustrating that with all the injuries and poor play at the position already that Malik Jefferson didn’t get a single defensive snap. Meanwhile, Vincent Rey is out there 22 snaps. It may have been Lewis wanted a veteran out there who could understand the nuance of the read option, but what does that matter wen Rey is too slow to really make any meaningful impact?